Family planning in Bangladesh is carried out by government agencies and supported by non-government organisations. The Directorate General of Family Planning is the government agency responsible for family planning in Bangladesh. Marie Stopes Bangladesh is an international NGO that provides family planning services in Bangladesh. In 1975 the population of Bangladesh was 76.3 million, and by 2001 the population had reached 130.5 million. Bangladesh has a fertility rate of 2.3, which, according to United Nations Population Fund, makes it a "low fertility country". Bangladesh has a high population density, with about 1000 people per square kilometre. Since independence Bangladesh has reduced its total fertility rate to 2.1, which means that women have 2.1 children on average. At this TFR and without migration a country's population is neither growing nor shrinking. Bangladesh family planning programs have been described as being weakened in recent years.
History
In 1950 family planning was introduced by medical volunteers and social workers. In 1965 the Government of Pakistan started a family planning program in East Pakistan. In 1976 the government of Bangladesh declared rapid population growth rate as the nation's number one problem. Bangladesh has experienced rapid population growth since its independence. This was a result of high fertility rate, increased life expectancy, and decreasing mortality rate. In 1975 the total fertility rate was 6.3, which by 2011 was reduced to 2.3 according to the data collected by the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2011. The survey found most women have two or more children. It also found that the majority of women in Bangladesh would prefer to have two or less Children. Since 2011 the total fertility rate has remained at 2.3, according to the International Conference on Family Planning, family planning in Bangladesh has not made progress since then. Infant mortality fell from 160,300 in 2000 to 83,100 by 2015 according to The Lancet. Bangladesh is ranked 7 worldwide in number of stillbirths. Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2014 found that 33% of 15 to 19 year olds were pregnant. Sixty-six percent of the population give birth before age 19. Family Service is supported by UNFPA in Bangladesh.
Underage marriage
According to official government estimates in Bangladesh 65% of girls are married off before their 18th birthday. 60 percent of child brides have children by the time they are 19 and 10 percent of them have children by the time they are 15. Bangladesh's Penal Code places the age of consent at 14, through sex before marriage is frowned upon socially.
Contraceptives
According to Bangladesh government data, 40 percent of couples in the country do not use contraceptives. The most popular choice of contraceptives is birth control pill. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare subsidizes contraceptives in Bangladesh. Reproductive health is not taught in schools and is not part of the national educational curriculum. Bangladesh employs women to provide family planning advice and contraceptives. Bangladesh has a high rate of illegal abortions and increased availability of contraceptives is expected to reduce that. Essential Drugs Company Ltd started manufacturing condoms in Bangladesh from 2010.
